Turn the Lights Down Low
by sourulfur
Summary: Stiles Stilinski and Isaac Lahey used to be best friends, but when Stiles' mother started getting sick, Stiles pushed him away. Now, several years later, the boys find themselves in their senior year. It's a good time to patch things up, right? Right. Friendships change, though, and this one is about to; big time. How does Derek filter in?
1. Chapter 1

"What happened to us?"

The question was innocent enough, but it made Stiles look up from the essay he was working on in the school library during lunch to see Isaac standing in front of his table with a furrowed brow. Stiles wet his lips and shook his head a little as he said, "I don't know what you mean."

"We used to be friends," Isaac reminded him. "What happened?"

Stiles could clearly remember a time before when he and Isaac were close. They would spend time at each others' houses, spend the night, keep each others' secrets. Then, around the time that Stiles' mother got sick, Stiles started pulling away from everyone, Isaac included. Stiles did not let anyone else in until Scott moved to town just before the Hale fire. Even then, they did not really get close until junior high when they had to work together on a project and found out just how much they had in common. Stiles had tried not to cry when he told Scott why his mother was not around.

After a few moments of quiet thought, Stiles wet his lips again and shrugged, trying his best to seem indifferent about everything when really it just _hurt _that he had let himself push Isaac away. Maybe if he had not, he could have helped Isaac leave his home earlier. "I don't know," Stiles finally said, staying as calm as possible.

If Isaac caught the sound of that lie, the curly-haired beta did not say. Instead, he pulled one of the chairs back and sat down. "Can we fix it?"

"Why?" Stiles brow furrowed a little as he rested his arms on the table, making Isaac frown.

Stiles watched as Isaac fidgeted in his seat, as though he were uncomfortable. "I miss you."

Stiles inhaled sharply through his nose, stilling the fingers that had been drumming against the table top. "Yeah," he replied after moment, the word coming out mostly breath. "I've missed you, too."

Isaac smiled softly at that, making Stiles smile as well. It had been years since he had seen the blue-eyed teen smile like that. "Come over to the loft after school."

Stiles lifted his brow slightly at the request before he chuckled softly with a smile, moving to cross his arms over his essay. "Sure Derek won't mind?"

"He can deal." Isaac shrugged with a smirk that was more common than any smile. Stiles really missed his smiles.

"He's had a bad influence on you." Both teens laughed softly at that, but Stiles nodded as he ran a hand through his hair. He was not sure where this sudden want to try to fix things came from; but, he guessed it was as good a time as any. Senior year was half-way over, after all. "No more throwing the human around living rooms and we've got a deal."

Despite the teasing in Stiles' voice, Isaac winced a little, knowing exactly what Stiles was talking about. Isaac had not exactly been the nicest person to Stiles since becoming a werewolf. A part of Stiles felt that he deserved it, though. After all, he was the one who pushed Isaac away in the first place. "I'm sorry," Isaac said softly without looking at Stiles. He suddenly found the top of the table very interesting. Stiles watched as the other teen idly traced his finger over a pattern in the grain.

Stiles shook his head a little and laughed softly with a small smile. "No, dude; don't apologize to me. You're not the one who should be sorry."

"I could have killed you."

"You didn't, though." Stiles lifted his shoulders a little as Isaac looked up at him, and he smiled at the curly-haired teen. "If I let a little violence intimidate me, I wouldn't be friends with Derek Hale, now would I?"

None of them were exactly sure how that one happened. Somewhere between sophomore and junior years, Stiles' fear of Derek had faded and throughout everything that happened with the alphas, they had formed a tentative friendship. Scott still did not exactly understand why Stiles was friends with Derek, the guy was still a jerk sometimes, after all; but, it was what it was. Isaac still seemed unsure, but Stiles just smiled and tapped the blue-eyed teen on the arm with his pen before saying, "S'whatever. We can get food on the way over and annoy Derek with us taking over his kitchen, yeah?"

Isaac seemed like he still wanted to argue against his previous actions, but Stiles, like usual, was insistent of pushing it aside and ignoring it. "Yeah, alright," Isaac replied after a moment, nodding a little. "Meet you out front after school?"

"Yeah, alright." Stiles nodded with a small smile, though a part of him could not figure out what he was doing.

The rest of the school day passed by too slow and too fast all at the same time. Stiles was not exactly sure how that was possible, but he did not even try to figure out. Soon enough, he found himself saying good-bye, who was going to go hang out with Allison _as friends_, they both insisted, and making his way out to the Jeep. Isaac was not there yet, but the curly-haired teen showed up only a few moments later. Stiles smiled when he saw Isaac and said, "C'mon, let's go."

"What're we getting?" Isaac questioned as he climbed up into the passenger seat next to Stiles.

The other teen smiled over at him while turning the car on before saying, "You'll see."

A stop at the grocery store and a short drive across town later found the two teens in the kitchen of Derek's loft. Isaac still had no idea what Stiles was planning on doing, though the two of them were complaining about coach as they unloaded all the groceries bought from the plastic bags. It was once they were all strewn out on the counter that Isaac perked up slightly in realization. "We're making cookies?" he said, a smile tugging on his lips.

"Tradition," replied Stiles with a nod and a smile of his own. He and Isaac used to make cookies with his mother most days after school, just a small batch for the day; but, they would always make some snickerdoodles (Isaac's favorite) and chocolate chip (Stiles' favorite).

"I can't believe you remember." Isaac chuckled a little as he and Stiles started to move around the kitchen to get the cookie sheets, bowls, and other utensils they would need.

Stiles flashed another grin at Isaac and lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Of course I remember, dude. You were my best friend for years. Not exactly something that you forget."

When Derek showed up at the loft a couple hours later, Stiles and Isaac were sitting on the couch, each with a small plate of cookies and some milk. The leftover cookies were sitting on a covered plate in the kitchen. The two of them were talking about everything that had happened since Isaac had gotten bitten. They continued to avoid the subject of what had happened to their friendship in the first place. "Don't you have your own kitchen to do that in?" Derek said, grumbling slightly as he shrugged out of his leather jacket, which he put on the back of one of the chairs at the table.

"We left you some," Stiles said as he sat up a little straighter, flashing Derek a bright smile, which earned himself a faint smile from the alpha. "Chocolate chip or snickerdoodle." Stiles nodded once in a resolute manner. "We were just discussing that pack that may or may not be heading in this direction."

Derek's brow lifted a little in question, forgoing the cookies in the kitchen to steal one from Isaac as he sat down on the couch in-between them. Ignoring his beta's glare, Derek broke off a piece of the cookie as he said, "What about them?" It should have been unsettling how _comfortable_ it was just sitting there with the two teens. He felt more relaxed than he had all day.

"What we should do if they do come here," Isaac replied as he settled down in his spot more, leaning against Derek slightly so that their shoulders were pressed together. "Stiles thinks Peter's full of shit and that we shouldn't believe they're a threat until they prove it."

Stiles nodded a few times as he finished a drink of his milk before he cleared his throat and said, "I mean, c'mon, zombie-boy is known for screwing us over. Why should this be different? What if we just piss them off and start a war by assuming he's right? I think we've had enough carnage lately. I mean, unless they wanna take Peter off our hands. I wouldn't stop them."

Isaac snickered a little, shifting his plate out of the way when Derek went to steal another cookie. "I don't think any of us would."

Derek simply shrugged as he stole a cookie from Stiles, ignoring his indigent "Hey!" in response. Stiles nudged Derek as he said, "Get your own, big guy. No sharing."

"I thought sharing was caring," Derek replied, his brow lifting with a faint smirk as he stated Stiles' own words from the week previous.

Stiles nodded a few times as he said, "Only when it involves you having pizza and me having none, dude. S'how it works."

"Don't call me 'dude'." Derek rolled his eyes and Stiles poked his tongue out in response.

They all felt oddly at ease that afternoon, despite the fact that Stiles knew in the back of his mind he should be highly uncomfortable around both of the other guys. They were both werewolves that could easily break him and had a fascination with shoving him around at times. Yet, he was very content to sit there talking and laughing (well, smirking in Derek's case) with the two of them well into the evening. They ended up ordering some pizza that Derek went to go get, leaving the teens alone in the loft once again. "Wonder where Cora is," Stiles said idly as he and Isaac worked on their homework at the table, their books strewn out on top of the various maps and schematics that had started to be collected on top of the furniture they were using.

"I think she's with Boyd," Isaac replied with a shrug, before letting out a slightly huffed breath as he ran a hand through his hair. "I don't get any of this."

"What is it?" Stiles sat up a little straighter in the chair, attempting to see what Isaac was working on.

"That worksheet from Ms. Blake. What is _prose_?" Isaac pulled a face as he read over the questions, most of which used terms that Isaac did not follow. He was not stupid by any means, Stiles would kick anyone who said otherwise; English was just not his strength. Stiles knew well that Isaac had one of the highest grades in their math and sciences classes.

Stiles smiled at the other teen, pushing aside his own homework before saying, "Here, I'll help you."

It was nice, Isaac decided; he liked spending time with Stiles again. There was a tension there that neither one of them wanted to talk about, lingering hurt from the time they had spent apart or disliking one another. They never really had disliked one another, though. It was more just unresolved tension from everything before. Then again, Isaac guessed they'd saved each others' lives enough that there were new bonds between them that would make fixing things that much easier. He could not help but worry, though, that by the next morning, Stiles would be ignoring him again.

Stiles had gotten up to move around the table, standing next to Isaac as he talked the other teen through what he needed to know to fill out the worksheet. During that time, Stiles began to idly toy with Isaac's hair. Isaac did not notice it at first, and even when he did, he found he did not mind so he did not say anything. After a few minutes, though, Stiles seemed to realize what he was doing and he suddenly stopped, but rested his hand on Isaac's shoulder with a squeeze. "I think you've got it now," Stiles said with a slightly awkward laugh and a nervous smile.

When Isaac smiled at him in response, however, Stiles relaxed again, squeezing Isaac's shoulder once more before his attention turned to the doorway when Derek came in with the pizzas. Stiles groaned in appreciation and said, "You are my new favorite, Derek."

"Hey!" Scott called as he came into the loft, followed by Boyd and Cora, both of whom had small smiles on their faces. "I thought I was your favorite."

"Yeah, well, Derek brought pizza," replied Stiles with a gesture of his hand while he walked over to the kitchen area to grab plates for everyone (paper ones because Derek owned very few kitchen utensils as it was). "Ergo, he's my favorite."

Derek rolled his eyes as he placed the pizzas on the counter before walking over to the chair he usually put his jacket on to do just that. "If I knew that was all it took to get you to be compliant, I would've had pizza when I first needed your help," Derek stated, a faintly amused smirk on his face.

"Would've saved you so much time and energy, dude." Stiles nodded resolutely, stealing himself a few slices of pizza before going over to the couch to claim his spot on it. Isaac and Derek soon joined him while Scott took a chair from the table. Boyd sat on the floor instead of grabbing a chair himself, and Cora sat on the bed in the corner of the room.

It was nice, Stiles decided as they all talked about the upcoming lacrosse game (well, Derek and Cora listened), eating their pizza and enjoying the calm. The only thing that was missing was Lydia, Allison, and Danny. Then it would be a perfect evening. Scratch that, Stiles thought after a moment when he glanced over at Isaac and saw that the teen was _really_ smiling for the first time in ages. It was already a perfect night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: **_So, I figured I'd make this clear to you guys now since kind of fails at relationship options and all that jazz. There's a reason that Derek, Isaac, and Stiles are the three characters I chose to list. This is a story that is going to deal with polyamory, meaning that there is going to be a relationship between three people. Which three people? Well, the three people listed. Derek/Stiles/Isaac is the endgame of this story. What happens between now and the end has yet to be decided just yet, though. So, I hope you enjoy._

* * *

"Hey, man," Scott said with a smile as he stopped next to Stiles' locker, making the other teen's brow raise a little. It was not exactly common for Scott to show up at his locker like that anymore. He had been so busy with Allison... "Want to come over tonight? I got the new Superman movie."

"Uh, I kind of already have plans," replied Stiles, making the smile fall from Scott's face. He was not sure if he should be bothered by the fact that Scott seemed to think it was impossible for him to have plans with someone else. "I thought you were gonna go over to Allison's."

"She's going over to Lydia's tonight, now." Scott seemed a bit put-out by the idea, but did not comment. He and Allison were trying to be just friends, after all.

Stiles nodded a little in response, wetting his lips before flashing a small, hesitant but honest smile in Scott's direction. "Isaac and I were gonna go see that new horror film. D'you wanna join us?"

Scott's brow rose slightly, looking almost doubtful at his best friend's statement, which made Stiles sigh and ask, "What?"

"You're hanging out with Isaac now?" he replied, though his disbelief was soon replaced by a smile. He definitely did not mind that idea. He liked when his friends got along a lot better than when they seemed to want nothing to do with one another.

Stiles lifted one shoulder in shrug as he grabbed his backpack up off the floor by his feet. "We used to be friends," Stiles explained, which only made Scott look confused again. "Before you moved to town. We, uh, we kinda fell apart. We're trying to... start again, I guess."

Scott smiled as the two of them started down the hallway toward their first class. "That's great! You sure Isaac won't mind me tagging along? I mean... if you're trying to fix things..."

"It's not like it's a date." Stiles laughed softly and pointedly ignored the way his stomach flipped at the mere idea of going on a date with Isaac. What the hell even was that response? "I doubt he'll mind."

"Mmm... alright, but if things get awkward, I'm out of there." Scott nodded once, smiling as Stiles rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Hey, Stiles," Isaac said with a slight smile as he sat down next to the teen at lunch. They both ignored the curious yet confused expression that Boyd gave him from across the room. Isaac usually sat with him and Cora, after all.

"Hi," replied Stiles, smiling at the curly-haired teen while marking a place in his book. "Scott might join us after school today. Allison ditched him for Lydia."

"Oh, yeah. Alright." Isaac smiled a little, though Stiles could not help but think the expression seemed a little forced as he absentmindedly toyed with the carton of milk on his lunch tray.

Stiles' brow furrowed a little as he watched Isaac before he said, "Sure it's alright? I mean, I could always..."

"No, it's fine." Isaac smiled a little again, more honestly that time. "Scott's cool. I think he'll like the movie, too."

"Oh, I dunno. Scott's a baby with these things." Stiles smirked a little as he opened the small bottle of water he had gotten with his lunch, leaning forward to sit with his arm resting on the table. "I usually don't do horror films with him." Besides, that was always his and Isaac's thing; watching scary movies while huddling together under a blanket in the living room, pretending not to notice Stiles' parents periodically checking in on them. Isaac used to stay awake with Stiles afterward, watching silly cartoons so nightmares would not be an issue.

"Popcorn with M&M's?" questioned Isaac, earning himself a confused expression from Stiles as the other teen focused on the conversation again. Isaac laughed softly with a warm smile, and he shrugged. "We used to mix peanut M&M's into the bowl."

"Oh, yeah." Stiles laughed softly as well, smiling over at Isaac as he remembered that little detail that had slipped his mind over the years. He had forgotten all about it. Scott had thought he was nuts the first time he had done that, and he had not since. "Yeah, we can do that."

Isaac smiled and started to say something else, only to stop when Scott sat down across from him at the table. "Jackson's throwing a party Friday," Scott said immediately, chuckling a little when Stiles rolled his eyes dramatically in response. "You guys should come. The rest of the team will be there."

"Uhm, I kind of have plans Friday," Stiles said with a shrug. "I'm helping Derek with some project or another."

"Yeah, he mentioned that," replied Isaac with a nod. "The old bookstore."

Stiles nodded with a smile while Scott looked between the two of them with a furrowed brow and a slightly disappointed frown. "You'd rather help Derek than indulge in free beer?" he asked, his voice ringing with the disbelief that he felt.

"Uh, yeah. I thought you were on board with the whole friendship with Derek thing," Stiles' brow rose as he spoke before he took a drink of his water. "Look, I get that you two still have issues; but, Derek's my friend, and I'll spend time with him if I want to."

"I might join," Isaac stated, making Stiles smile once again. "S'long as he doesn't mind."

Stiles rolled his eyes fondly and nudged Isaac under the table with his foot. "Of course he won't care. It's not like it's a date." Stiles ignored the way his stomach flipped at the thought of going on a date with Derek as well. What even was his life that he found himself _wanting_ a date with either of his friends. That was not exactly something he needed to complicate things. He swore he saw a slightly disappointed look on Isaac's face for a split second before it was replaced with a smile that did not quite meet the curly-haired teen's eyes.

Isaac, meanwhile, tried to figure out if he was more bothered by the idea of Stiles being on a date with Derek, or Derek being on a date with Stiles. He was not exactly sure why either idea would bother him. They were only friends, after all. He cleared his throat absentmindedly when Scott looked toward him with a slightly furrowed brow, and he shrugged a bit. "You never know with Derek. He's weird."

Stiles once again rolled his eyes, though he smiled as he took another drink of his water. It was odd, he decided, how easy falling into a conversation with both Scott and Isaac was. It was easy in a way that made Stiles wish that lunch just would not end; but, it did. However, it meant they were one hour closer to that evening, and Stiles was actually excited about the movie they were going to see. Maybe, he thought as the three of them separated to head to their next class with a glance over his shoulder to Isaac who was wrapped up in a conversation with Boyd, maybe he was just excited to be spending time with Isaac again.

* * *

"No way," Scott said with a groan as he dropped down into a seat next to Stiles. Isaac's brow furrowed in confusion on Stiles' other side and Scott gestured to the tub of popcorn between the two of them that Isaac had dumped a thing of peanut M&M's into so they could mix it in. "You do that, too?"

"It was one time," replied Stiles with a roll of his eyes before stealing a piece of Scott's popcorn with a smirk. "Besides, it's delicious. You should trust me on these things."

Stiles nodded resolutely, but Scott still looked warily at the popcorn. Isaac just shrugged before picking up a piece of popcorn and a piece of the candy putting them both in his mouth before grinning at Scott. "He's right. S'good," the curly-haired beta replied with a nod of his own.

"See? Isaac has taste."

Stiles poked his tongue out at Scott, who simply sighed and shook his head in response, mumbling something about them being weird. Stiles paid him no mind, though, and simply smiled over at Isaac before the lights in the theater dimmed while the previews started rolling on the screen.

Scott had a hard time focusing on the movie, mostly because he was worried about freaking himself out if he really watched, like he always did when it came to horror movies. Plus, there were so many people around; different sounds and smells kept pulling his attention. He was not sure how Isaac was not bothered. At the thought, he spared a glance over at the curly-haired teen only to lift his brow when he found Stiles practically leaning over the arm of the chair to lean against Isaac, saying something quietly about how he was sure he knew who the killer on the screen was. Isaac did not doubt it, but he simply laughed in response, not seeming to mind when Stiles continued to practically lean against him, their arms pressed together, each one leaning toward the other. Stiles had said it was not a date, but looking at them, Scott could not be completely sure that it was not. They seemed very comfortable with one another, and while he and Stiles may have running commentary during movies at times, they never stayed huddled together like that. Scott very much felt like a third wheel there and wondered if Stiles felt like that a lot whenever they would hang out together with Allison. But, Stiles and Isaac were just friends; Stiles would tell him if it was more.

Watching Stiles roll his eyes at Isaac, shoving some popcorn in his mouth while all but glaring at the screen while Isaac teased him about being wrong about the killer (Stiles' choice had just been killed on screen, tragic really), he realized that maybe Isaac and Stiles were not even aware of how they were acting. It seemed like a natural thing, something too easy to be between people who only days before barely said two words to one another. Stiles was _smiling_, though, and that was the final decision maker for Scott. Whatever was going on with his friends, that was between them and he would just enjoy the fact that they weren't at one another's throats.

* * *

"Ugh, I'm _starving_," Stiles groaned as they came out of the movie theater a while later, glaring over at Isaac as the blue-eyed teen laughed in response.

"You just ate a shit ton of popcorn and M&M's," he pointed out, looking over at Scott who simply shrugged in response.

Scott laughed with an amused smirk before saying, "Yeah, well, this is Stiles. He's been known to eat his weight in food and somehow still not gain a pound."

"Metabolism is a great thing to have," replied Stiles with a nod and a smirk. "But, c'mon, how are you _not_ starving? I could eat like... a whole pizza. Who's with me?"

"Actually, I think I'mma run some food by the hospital for Mom." Scott nodded before jerking his head back over to where his favored dirt bike was parked. "I'll see you guys at school, though."

Stiles nodded and he and Scott did the odd handshake thing they did that simply left Isaac raising an eyebrow in confusion and amusement. He did not get the point, but had already learned not to question them. "I'll go with you," Isaac stated, earning himself a grin from Stiles.

"Sweet action. C'mon, we've gotta go to Burt's. No place is better. You're missing out, Scott," Stiles said, practically all in one breath as he started walking over to where the Jeep was parked.

"Save me some!" called Scott before he put his helmet on, missing Stiles' sarcastic response.

"Like that'll really happy." Both Stiles and Isaac laughed as they got into the Jeep and Stiles drove them to the favored pizza shop in town. Neither one really said anything while Stiles idly drummed his hands on the steering wheel as he drove. It was nice, Stiles decided, being able to spend time with Isaac and not having to worry about whether or not he was going to attack Lydia; or him. There'd been a time there where Isaac almost _scared_ him, but he did not want to think on that. Isaac was... Isaac was, well, he was Isaac and Stiles was glad for the opportunity to rebuild their friendship.

As the evening progressed, though, he and Isaac discussing college options and upcoming lacrosse games while eating more pizza than should be considered healthy as he subtly glanced at some of the actual couples in the restaurant around them, Stiles started to wonder if a friendship was really what he wanted. Isaac was his childhood best friend, but times had changed, they had changed. Stiles was no longer the bright-eyed, optimistic little kid who believed in the best of people. Isaac was no longer the boy that would hide behind Stiles' mom's legs whenever there was a thunderstorm and he was staying the night. They were both different, a bit darker and broken. They were older, but not necessarily wiser. So, was it that much of a stretch if the way that Stiles saw Isaac had changed as well? The only problem that remained was whether or not he was alone in those thoughts, and the fact that they clashed so severely with the crush he had been harboring on Derek since day one. What even was his life?

After eating, Stiles dropped Isaac off at the loft, something that took longer than expected since neither one of them seemed to be willing to give up their long-standing debate on which was better: DC or Marvel. However, soon enough, Stiles found himself at home, dropping down on the couch next to his father, who was watching a football game on the television. "Where've you been?" John questioned, though it was not an accusing sort of statement. The sheriff was in the know about the whole supernatural thing and no longer worried whenever Stiles was not at home immediately after school. Things had gotten very tense there for a while, but in the end, it made things better, easier. John still worried about his son, but that was his job.

"Went to see a movie with Scott and Isaac," Stiles explained as he settled down into his place with a slight yawn, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Then we grabbed some pizza."

John grumbled good-naturedly about son's not bringing home the good stuff for their fathers and Stiles simply chuckled, nudging the man with his elbow. "It's good that you and Isaac are hanging out again," John stated after a few minutes of comfortable silence between the two of them, and he looked over at his son in enough time to see the warm smile that spread across the teen's face.

"Yeah, it is. I've missed spending time with him. I mean, I love Scott; but, Isaac's different."

The town sheriff laughed softly at that while taking a drink of his one beer for the evening, nodding with a slight smile. "He always has been." Stiles' brow furrowed a little at that as he looked up toward his father, who simply laughed at the expression. "You don't remember? You and Isaac were "married" in pre-school, insistent that it was for real. I think you both forgot about it after a few days, and then your crush on Lydia happened; but, you always revered Isaac in a different way than your other friends. Your mother swore up and down that you really would marry him one day." John's last statement was thick in his throat, though it held more of a happy tone to it than usual when he would talk about his late wife. Even Stiles was slowly beginning to be able to talk about her again without that terrible pain in his chest. They would never forget her, but it was becoming easier to live.

Stiles laughed softly, worrying at his lower lip as he shifted uncomfortably on the couch. He honestly did not remember any of that and wondered if Isaac did. Had he really been that adamant as a child? Stiles rolled his eyes at himself; of course he had been, it was _him_ they were talking about. It did not exactly change anything; they had been _children_ after all, but hearing his father speak about it left a warm feeling inside of the teen that he could not quite explain.

Having an explanation, though, could only make things more complicated. Stiles was well aware of that fact; and, as he climbed into bed a few hours later, Stiles could not help but feel that his life, as crazy as it was already, was only starting to become complicated. Or maybe it was simply going to hit a new sense of clarity, but with his luck, even that had its down sides.


	3. Chapter 3

"Holy god," Stiles said through a few coughs as he waved a hand in front of his face after Derek opened one of the curtains in the bookstore window, causing mass amounts of dust to begin floating through the air. Even Isaac scrunched up his nose from across the room with a glance over to the alpha. "How long has it been since anyone's been in here?"

"Since before the fire," explained Derek as he propped open the front door so that fresh air could circulate throughout the room. "My grandmother used to own this place, and lived in the loft behind it. She died and left the place to me. I never really had a chance to do anything with it."

"Until now," Isaac stated as he sat on top of the desk next to the old register that sat there, flipping through one of the books that was laying out. "So, bookshop again?"

Derek lifted his shoulder in a shrug as he righted a table that used to stand in front of the window but had gotten knocked over at some point. "I'm not sure; maybe. I should do something with the space, though."

"What about the apartment?" Stiles asked as he wandered through the old, empty bookshelves. "It'd be better than the loft, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, maybe." To be honest, Derek had never seriously thought about getting a new place. The loft was functional enough. It was not exactly the best living space, but it served its purpose. He was not sure about actually living in a place that used to belong to someone in his family; but, maybe it would be a good idea. Derek would think on it later, when he did not have two teenagers poking around the place with him.

"So, general cleaning first; dusting and sweeping and all that jazz, then decisions?" questioned Stiles from somewhere that Derek could not see. He figured the teen was around the small dividing wall that the mythological books used to be kept behind, separate from all the others.

Derek nodded, though only Isaac could see it from where he was, and said, "That's the plan. What're you doing?"

Isaac's brow lifted as he leaned forward on the desk, attempting to see Stiles through the slots in some of the bookshelves, but was unsuccessful. "There's something carved into the wall here," Stiles answered after a moment. "It looks like the tattoo on your back."

Derek's brow furrowed a little as he and Isaac made their way through the old shop over to where Stiles was. The teen had been right. Carved into the wall behind one of the shelves was a triskle just like the one on his back. "What's it mean?" Stiles asked as Derek reached out and brushed his fingers along one of the curved arms of the design.

After a moment, Derek pulled his hand back and shrugged a little. "Different things for different people," he answered. "I'm not sure why it's there."

Stiles shrugged as well before nudging Isaac toward the front of the store again. "C'mon, then. Let's get started with the whole domestic thing," he stated, making both of the other two roll their eyes at him.

* * *

Stiles groaned as he dropped down onto the couch next to his father that evening. John lifted his brow with an amused smile as he said, "Cleaning is that exhausting?"

"How di-? Never mind," replied the teen with a shake of his head and a laugh "Yeah, it was. We moved some bookshelves around, too; and, some furniture in the apartment in the back."

John chuckled a little as he reached over to ruffle Stiles' hair fondly, making his son glare over at him, slapping a hand down on top of his head to stop the attack. "Sounds like you had a busy day."

Stiles nodded a few times, lowering his hand as a slow smile formed on his face. "Yeah, it was fun. We even got to learn some more about Derek's past. He's not so... guarded now."

"That's good. He needs someone to talk to." John would much prefer that it _not_ be his son; but, Derek was, for the most part, a good guy. He could not really stop them from being friends, especially not once Stiles put his mind to it. John had learned that well enough. "You going back over there tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh." Stiles nodded as he leaned against his father absentmindedly, resting his head on the man's shoulder with a yawn. "Might stay at the loft afterward. Derek promised food this time."

John chuckled a little as he ruffled Stiles' hair again, ignoring the indignant sound he received in response from the teen. "He finally figured out food keeps you compliant?"

"Yeah, only took two years." Both of them laughed softly before Stiles yawned again and actually focused on the television. "What are you even watching?"

"I don't even know. It was on the channel and I was too lazy to get the remote." John nodded to the remote, which was sitting on one of the tables across the room, making both of them laugh softly with matching smiles. "Maybe you should head up to bed, kiddo."

"M'kay," Stiles replied, though he made no motion to move from his spot until John nudged him in the side, making the teen groan. "Alright, alright, I'm going. Bossy."

John rolled his eyes fondly at his son as Stiles got up, mumbling a good-night before he disappeared upstairs to his room. Stiles shut the door before tugging off the hoodie and t-shirt he had worn, throwing them both into the clothes hamper that stood in one corner before turning to face his bed while reaching over to flip on the light. Once the lights came on, Stiles jumped back, nearly hitting the door when he found Isaac standing warily near the window. "Jesus Christ," Stiles mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "What're you doing here?" Stiles' voice was not harsh or blaming, simply confused as to the fact that Isaac was somehow in his bedroom when neither him nor his father had let the other teen in.

"Uhm, I'm not sure. I just... felt kinda restless," Isaac admitted with a slight shrug as Stiles walked over to his dresser to grab a new, slightly too-big t-shirt to tug on. His brow furrowed in confusion when Stiles tossed a pair of sleep pants at him a moment later. "What?"

"Get comfortable, dude," Stiles stated with a laugh, grabbing a pair of sleep pants for himself before quickly changing into them right there. It was not like he and Isaac did not share a locker room after all. "We'll watch something for a bit."

Isaac stood there a moment longer before he shrugged out of his leather jacket. He draped it over the back of Stiles' desk chair before changing out of his jeans and into the sleep pants that were a bit too short (they hit somewhere just above his ankles) while Stiles crossed over to where his laptop was sitting on the desk. "_Avengers_ alright? It's what's in the player now," Stiles explained as he fiddled with the volume settings, moving the laptop so that the screen was visible from the bed.

"Uh, yeah, sure," replied Isaac with a nod before sitting down on the bed.

Stiles got the movie playing and turned off the light before crossing over to lay down on the bed next to Isaac on the side farther from the desk. He tugged on the curly-haired beta's arm with a slight smile as he said, "Lay down, dude. Can't see otherwise."

Isaac nodded in response before he lay down on the bed next to Stiles. The other teen rested his head on Isaac's shoulder, laying fairly close to the teen's side. Neither one seemed to mind the closeness that was more common of their friendship years before. Stiles had always been more tactile in his friendship with Isaac than his other friends when they were younger. It was just something that was _easy_ to him, and often more reassuring that things were okay. Isaac, who was generally not a fan of human contact, never seemed to mind when it was Stiles wrapped around him (or when Derek would place a hand on his shoulder or something, but that was a different story entirely). "This is nice," Stiles all but mumbled after a few long minutes of quietly watching the movie on the laptop.

"Yeah," Isaac agreed with a nod and a slight smile as he gently squeezed Stiles' upper arm before simply resting his hand there. It should have been awkward and uncomfortable, being so close to someone; but, it was _Stiles_ and everything just seemed right. Though both of them felt that something was missing, though neither one could be sure what that was. Neither one dwelled on it, however, focusing more on the movie and the sense of calm that each seemed to have.

Stiles was the first to fall asleep, his arm draped casually over Isaac's middle. Isaac found himself still unable to fall asleep as his mind seemed stuck on the fact that Stiles fit so easily and well next to him. The other teen was just the right height that when they stood, he could be under Isaac's arm without putting it in an awkward position, and Stiles' head could rest right there on his shoulder. It was an odd thing to think about, Isaac realized, but it was what he was stuck on; that, and the fact that he _liked_ having Stiles pressed close to him like that. It was like a reminder that they were both there and that things were okay. Maybe he spent too much time wondering about what the next threat in town was going to be.

Isaac eventually fell asleep, and the only reason he realized that was because he blinked his eyes open only to squint and look around the room to find sunlight filtering through the blinds in the window. Stiles was still asleep next to him, arm still draped over Isaac's middle, though sometime in the night, Stiles' long fingers twisted into the material of Isaac's shirt so that the other teen was clinging tightly to it. Isaac was not exactly sure what to do, though if he was honest, he did not want Stiles to move away any. Any decisions were pretty much rendered void, however, when the alarm on Stiles' cell phone started blaring loudly from the table next to the bed a moment later. Stiles groaned and let go of Isaac's shirt to reach over and grab the phone in order to stop the alarm.

Neither teen really moved for a while, but after a few minutes, Stiles groaned and made himself get up. "C'mon, we should get ready," he said as he stretched before climbing out of the bed, obviously not bothered at all by their sleeping arrangements the night before. It was a relief to Isaac, and he no longer felt bad for not minding. "We can pick up breakfast for us and Derek along the way."

"Yeah, alright," replied Isaac as he sat up with a nod, running a hand through his hair idly. "Can we stop by the loft so I can change?"

"Yeah, if you want." Stiles shrugged as he pulled out some clothes for himself from the dresser. "Or you can borrow some of my clothes."

Isaac thought about it for a moment as he got up before nodding a little. "Just a shirt," he replied. He could wear his jeans from the day before, after all. They weren't that dirty and he'd only worn them the once. Besides, his other jeans were nice and he did not need to be getting them dirty as he figured working in that old shop would do.

Several minutes later, after both boys made themselves more presentable and Stiles finally found the spare toothbrush for Isaac to use, the two of them headed out to grab some coffee and donuts from the coffee shop in town. Isaac tried not to fidget too much in his seat, but it was driving him nuts wearing Stiles' shirt. It smelt like the other teen and it was just a lot. He knew Derek would be able to tell it was Stiles' shirt as well; and, a part of him could not help but wonder what the alpha's reaction was going to be.

They got three coffees and a dozen donuts to bring to the shop, which surprised Derek more than Isaac wearing Stiles' shirt did, if he was honest. However, Derek did find that bit highly distracting as he tried not to watch Isaac too much while the three of them lazed around talking, nursing their coffees. Isaac was an energetic, smiling mix of both his own and Stiles' scents and it intrigued Derek more than it probably should have. He focused more on his coffee than he usually would have; he was not much of a coffee drinker, after all. "Are you okay?" Stiles asked after a while, his brow lifting a little. "You look like you're about to murder your coffee, dude."

"Yeah, just didn't sleep much last night," replied Derek as he sat the coffee aside. It was not exactly a lie, so Isaac did not pick up on it; but, it was not exactly the truth for his odd behavior. He was not about to explain himself, however.

"So, Cora thinks you should turn it into a metaphysical shop," Stiles stated from his place on the old desk, idly swinging his legs a little. "Something about the irony and all that jazz." Derek rolled his eyes, and Isaac laughed a little into his coffee with a shake of his head. Stiles smirked in amusement as well as he grabbed one of the glazed donuts out of the box. "Might not hurt to take on some of her idea, though. I mean, if we could have extra access to books that may eventually come in handy with our luck? S'a good defensive move."

Derek had to admit that Stiles did have a point. His grandmother had held a small selection of books like that around the corner where Stiles had found the symbol etched into the wall. He could remember several times that his mother would go into town with the sole purpose of getting a book from the shop because of something going on that the kids were not allowed to know about. Going the metaphysical route in general would also give them access to wolvesbane and mistletoe, mountain ash, and anything else in that area that could be very beneficial for Stiles, Lydia, and Danny. After a moment, Derek sighed and lifted his shoulders in a shrug, "It's something to think about."

Stiles nodded with a slow smirk forming on his face before chuckling as he said, "We'd have to get you a purple robe with stars on it and a matching pointy hat."

Derek lifted his brow a little but said nothing as Isaac started to laugh from his place against one of the near-by walls. "Like Giles," the curly-haired beta replied with a small smile on his face.

"Yeah! You watch _Buffy_?" Stiles sounded excited about that idea and Derek rolled his eyes. He should have known that (or something similar) was what Stiles was referring to. Derek had seen every episode (not that he would admit it), but he did not remember much of it if he was honest. "We should marathon it at some point. I've got every season."

"Why does that not surprise me?" replied Derek with a shake of his head, though his tone was slightly fond and he had an amused smirk on his face. Stiles simply poked his tongue out at Derek in response before downing the last of his coffee.

"You too, Mr. Alpha."

Isaac nodded in agreement with a smile on his face, and Derek just sighed heavily in response. He did not vocally agree, nor would he ever, but from the smug smirk on Stiles' face, Derek was sure that the human knew he would do it. "Okay, I think we should start actually working, which we're here to _do_," Derek reminded them after a moment, taking the empty paper coffee cups from either of them before throwing all three into the trash. There were still several old boxes to go through and trash that needed to be gotten rid of. Windows needed cleaned and shelves needed fixed. The basics all needed covered before they went any farther. Plus, they all knew if any decisions were made about design without Lydia's stamp of approval, they'd never hear the end of it.

As the two teens got up and started to work together to clean one half of the shop, Derek could not keep himself from watching them for a few moments. He let out a slightly heavy breath and shook his head at himself; it was going to be a very long day.


	4. Chapter 4

Stiles was sprawled out on the floor near the couch in the loft while Isaac sat at one end with his back to the arm of the couch and his long legs out in front of him. Stiles was laughing about something he had found amusing about their day while Isaac glared down at him. Apparently, Isaac did not find it so funny. Derek was not completely sure what they were talking about; the only thing he was sure of was how... nice it was to walk in and see the two of them completely at ease, talking and joking around while they were in his place. Only months before, that never would have happened. Stiles simply smirked at Isaac and tipped his head back so that he could look toward the door, looking absolutely ridiculous at the same time. "S'about time you got back," Stiles said before getting up with a groan. "I'm starving."

"Maybe he'll be nicer if he eats," stated Isaac, tilting his head to rest it against the back of the couch. There was no heat to his words, and Derek could clearly tell that the curly-haired teen was just teasing as he set the pizza boxes and two liters of soda down on the counter.

"Rude." Stiles huffed and straightened his shirt as he walked into the kitchen to get three glasses out for the soda, a bottle of Mtn. Dew and a bottle of Coke; Isaac and Stiles' favorites respectively. "I'm plenty nice."

Derek smirked a little as he said, "Sure. When you want something."

"Rude-_er_. What is this? Gang up on Stiles night?" Stiles glared at them both, but got out plates for all three of them all the same.

Isaac nodded a little as he stood up and stretched. "`Course. You make it easy."

Stiles glared at Isaac again, but handed the other teen a few slices of his favorite type of pizza, which they had learned was Derek's as well. It probably should have, but did not, seem odd to any of them that as they moved around the kitchen, they stood rather close to each other. Arms and fingers brushed together as they reached for plates, napkins, and glasses; but, it had been the same throughout the day, too, whenever they worked close to clean up that building. Stiles, being a very tactile person, definitely did not mind it at all. It never crossed his mind that neither of the other two had ever been very tactile (at least of late; Stiles knew that Isaac _used_ to be), so the entire thing should seem even more off.

Instead, he went with them to take their places on the couch, sitting between the two of them that evening. "We really should marathon _Buffy_ soon," Stiles said before he took a drink of his soda, which Derek was pretty sure that the teen did not really need.

Isaac nodded in agreement while Derek rolled his eyes before saying, "Cora's got season one in her room."

He almost regretted mentioning it, but the mirroring looks of excitement at the prospect from the other two made Derek roll his eyes once again, though a faint, amused smirk tugged on his lips. "I'll go get it," he stated as he set aside his plate and went to go get the boxed DVDs.

"Have I mentioned that you're the best alpha ever?" questioned Stiles as he settled down in his seat more before taking a bite of his pizza, leaning against Isaac absentmindedly. It had been a great day, Stiles decided with a slight smile as Derek put the first disc into the player to the system that Lydia had purchased, insisting that she could not stay there ever if there was no way to drown everyone out when they were being stupid again. Derek could not argue that point and it gave him a way to ignore Peter when the time called for it.

As Derek sat back down next to him after setting it up to play, Stiles found himself deciding that as good and productive as the day had been, he was preferring that evening the most of all. He felt comfortable, _safe_, with Isaac and Derek on either side of him. It gave him two people to lean against, and eventually, once the pizzas and sodas were finished off, Stiles was leaning fully against Derek, his head resting on the man's shoulder. Isaac was leaning against Stiles in turn, and eventually the teen rested his head on Stiles' lap instead, long legs dangling over the arm of the couch in a way that had to have been uncomfortable, though Isaac looked content where he was.

Stiles idly toyed with Isaac's hair, and Derek wondered if any of them were even actually paying attention to the television. Derek, himself, was much too focused on the teens next to him. Stiles smirked and laughed slightly at something that was said in the show, so he concluded that Stiles was at least partially paying attention. Isaac, it seemed, had fallen asleep as Stiles toyed with his hair. Derek could not blame him, though, for he was sure if their roles were switched, he would haven fallen asleep as well. The thing that struck Derek most strange about the evening was not that Stiles and Isaac often did small things that made him wonder if they weren't _together_, but the fact that he never felt like a third wheel or an outsider, like everyone always tended to say Allison and Scott were good at making people feel.

Derek started to doze off with those thoughts in mind, not even aware that he was falling asleep until the loud sound of Stiles' cell phone going off in his pocket woke all three of them up with matching groans. It took Derek a moment to realize that Isaac had moved up on the couch so that his head was on Derek's lap instead of Stiles', and his legs were curled up onto the couch instead of hanging off of the side. It probably should have bothered him, which he was sure Isaac realized from the way the beta tensed a little; but, it did not, and Derek gently squeezed Isaac's arm to silently let him know that, which made the teen relax again as Stiles grabbed his phone and answered the call. "Hullo? Dad? Oh, shit, sorry," Stiles said in a hurried rush, his voice loosing the sleepy sound with every moment that passed. "Fell asleep watching _Buffy_ with Isaac and Derek after we finished at the shop. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah I can do that. Bye, Dad." After he hung up the phone, Stiles sighed softly and rested his head back on Derek's shoulder. "Melissa's at the house making breakfast for everyone. Wanna go before the others get there first and eat it all?"

It took them all a few more minutes, but eventually the three of them got up. They each took quick showers, and Stiles borrowed some clothes before they left. He wore a pair of Derek's jeans, and a shirt from Isaac as well as his own hoodie. Isaac rode in Stiles' Jeep over to the Stilinski house, and Derek followed in his car. The teens did not try to hold a conversation, listening to the radio instead. They were, they found out, the first ones there. Scott and Danny came next, the two of them having been out practicing lacrosse the evening before and then Scott crashed there. Lydia arrived with Allison, Cora, and Boyd; the girls had slept over at Lydia's, and they picked up Boyd on the way over. Breakfast was full of talking and laughter, filling the Stilinski house with voices and warmth in a way that it had not seen in years. Stiles and his dad shared a small smile as they both had a similar thought about it; and, Stiles, well, Stiles could not help but think that maybe that year, things were going to go without a hitch.

Of course, Stiles would think that just before shit hit the fan. They had several more days of quiet in which Stiles spent a lot of time at the loft with Derek and Isaac since Scott was too busy with Danny or Allison before it happened. It was Wednesday, and everything started out normal. It took Stiles until second period to realize. Cora, Isaac, and Boyd were not at school. They were _always_ at school; Derek made sure of it. He dropped them off every morning. "Where are Cora, Boyd, and Isaac?" Stiles asked as he spun around to face Scott, who was walking behind him while talking to Lydia about some project they had in history. "And Allison?"

Scott's brow immediately furrowed as he and Lydia looked around before focusing on Stiles as Lydia said, "You mean they're not here?"

"I haven't seen them." Stiles shook his head, worrying at his lower lip as he tugged his cell phone out. He dialed Derek's number quickly before holding the phone up to his ear. The call went straight to voicemail. Stiles scowled and tried again for Isaac, it was the same. "Guys, something's wrong. We have to find them."

Lydia nodded once and looked over at Scott before saying, "You go find Danny. We'll meet you at the loft. We can start there."

The loft was empty when they got there; well, empty of people. Isaac's backpack sat on the counter and Cora's stuff was on the coffee table. There was a cup of coffee left sitting out that was made how Derek drank his; and, there was one of Peter's jackets on the couch. There was sign of Boyd having been there as well by way of his things being left on Cora's bed. "They left in a hurry," Danny said quietly with a frown as he looked around the loft. Scott seemed frozen, as if he was concentrating on something that was making his head hurt.

"Someone was here," Scott said after a moment before shaking his head a little. "Chris and Allison, and... someone else. They were here, but I don't know how long ago."

"We have to find them," Stiles said quietly before letting out a breath he did not realize that he was holding. "They've got to be somewhere close, right?"

Danny nodded, smiling slightly in an encouraging manner in Stiles' direction. Lydia sighed and walked over to the large table by the window before pulling out a map of Beacon Hills. "Everything that happens in this damn town happens in a few localized locations," she stated before pointing out each place as she said them, "the school, the hospital, the sheriff's department, and the preserve."

"Well, they definitely weren't at the school," Stiles replied as he ran his hand through his hair a couple of times.

"Mom woulda called if they showed up at the hospital," stated Scott knowingly. "The sheriff would've too if they'd gone there. So, that leaves the preserve, which is _huge_, let me remind you."

Lydia rolled her eyes a little at Scott's disparaging tone before she grabbed a rubber band off of the table to tie her hair back with. "C'mon, we're going to find them," she stated with a nod.

Stiles arched a brow slightly as Lydia all but stormed out of the loft, shrugged at Scott's confused tone, and then followed after her. If she was so confident, then Stiles guessed they all should be. Or they should fake it, anyway.

Scott held a finger to his lips, urging Lydia, Stiles, and Danny to be quiet as they made their way through the woods. Stiles had a baseball bat made out of mountain ash and mistletoe that was reinforced by some sort of mojo that Doctor Deaton did. Stiles was not sure what the vet had done, but it was cool and the bat would not break. Danny had a handgun loaded with wolfsbane bullets. Lydia, well, Lydia was terrifying on her own; but, Stiles was sure she had a weapon somewhere in the purse on her arm. They moved quickly and as quiet as possible through the trees and underbrush. Eventually, Scott caught scent of something (or sight or he heard it; Stiles had no idea, to be honest), and the teen in the lead straightened up before rushing forward. The other three exchanged a look before following after, only to stop when they spotted Chris Argent, Allison, and the rest of their pack walking toward them from the general direction of the Hale house.

Isaac had a bloody lip that was healing and some sort of cut on his face and side. Boyd looked as though he was not hurting, but the blood on his shirt told Stiles otherwise. Cora was leaning against Peter, who Stiles figured had probably stayed out of the fighting as much as possible. Derek just looked tired. Stiles dropped the bat in his hands and rushed forward to hug Derek fiercely, almost knocking the alpha over before pulling back to punch the man on the arm. "What the _fuck_ happened? Why were your phones off?" he asked, looking from Derek to Isaac, who winced a little at the tone in Stiles' voice.

"That would be my fault," Chris stated, not so much as sparing Stiles a humorless glance when the teen glared in his direction. "There are new hunters in town, ones that I don't know anything about. It was just supposed to be a quick survey of their camp, which was why we _all _turned our phones off; but, _someone_..." Chris stopped to glare over at Peter, who simply shrugged. "Managed to step on a twig and alert them of someone being there."

Stiles rolled his eyes before punching Derek on the arm again. "Never do something like that again. What if something worse happened, and the three of us were at school? Did you even stop to think a-?"

"Stiles!" Derek interrupted, more of a sigh than an actual statement, but it made the teen bite his lip to be quiet. "We're fine, okay?"

"Yeah, this time! What if-?"

Isaac walked over to them then and placed a hand on Stiles' arm, making the teen look at him as he said, "We'll be sure to let you know before we run off and do something like that again, okay?"

"Yes, you better," Lydia said with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest, sharp gaze focused on Allison, who was not looking up from the ground at all. "I missed the rest of school and ruined my boots just to see you lot come stumbling out of the aftermath. What happened with the hunters?"

"They ran off," Allison stated softly, nodding a little as she tucked her dark hair behind her ears, glancing up slowly at Lydia.

"So, hunters and that stupid pack heading this way," Stiles said with a groan. "So much for an easy senior year."

There was a moment of silence between them as they all started the walk back to Stiles and Lydia's cars, Stiles picking up his bat as he passed it, but then Peter cleared his throat and said, "About that..." Everyone stopped and slowly turned back to look at him where he continued to help Cora stand. "They're already here."


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you mean _already here_?" Stiles all but hissed once they all got back to the loft, rounding on Peter, who was no longer assisting Cora since she did not need it. "For how long?"

Peter lifted a shoulder in a shrug, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the table in front of the windows. "Oh, a few days or so," he replied, smirking a little as Stiles' eyes narrowed at him.

"Peter," Derek all but growled, tensing as he watched his uncle until Isaac placed a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't tell us. Why?"

"You're an alpha, Derek. I thought you could figure it out on your own."

It was Boyd who reacted first to Peter's statement, much to everyone's surprise. The usually quiet teen wasted no time in knocking Peter to the floor, pinning him in place with a heavy foot on his chest. "We can't exactly figure it out if they're hiding from us, can we?" Boyd all but growled at the man underneath him.

Peter's cold eyes were wide as he tried to get Boyd off of him, but the teen simply put more pressure on the man's chest in response. "What do they want?" Derek asked the man, not sure if he really wanted to know. Things were slowly starting to be okay again, and they had the hunters to deal with. Another angry pack was not something they needed to add to potential problems.

"I don't know," Peter coughed out, squirming underneath Boyd's foot, gripping the young werewolf's ankle in an attempt to knock him off balance; but, Boyd stood strong.

Derek nodded a little. "I'll find out, then."

"I'm going with you," Stiles insisted, his voice holding an edge of not putting up with arguments. Scott tried to argue, anyway; but, Stiles just shook his head at his best friend's protest. "Nope. I don't care. I'm going. The rest of you should deal with Mr. Zombie-Wolf here."

Isaac looked ready to argue as well, but bit his tongue. He knew Stiles well enough to know that no amount of arguing was going to change the other teen's mind. "Be careful," Isaac said quietly, catching Stiles' hand to gently squeeze it before Stiles and Derek left the apartment.

"You," Boyd said to Peter, finally letting up on the pressure on the man's chest, "are going to help me think of strategy plans, in case it is an attack."

Meanwhile, Stiles let out a deep breath as he walked next to Derek. "Any idea where this pack is hiding out?" he questioned, running a hand through his hair with a glance back toward the loft. He was seriously considering turning back just to grab Isaac to go with them. He always felt safer with both Derek and Isaac around.

"Probably somewhere downtown," answered Derek before climbing into his car without another word. He started it up and Stiles quickly got in, knowing that the alpha was not going to wait very long for him, and he was not about to let Derek leave him behind. "You should have stayed with the others."

"Fuck that." Stiles rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Every single one of you seems to find trouble so easily, more so when _I'm not there_. Like hell I'mma let you just walk into a pack of werewolves alone." Derek's grip tightened on the steering wheel, but he did not say anything; and, Stiles sighed heavily as he rested his head back. "Besides, you'll protect me. Scott'll kill you otherwise."

Derek smirked a little as he parked in one of the abandoned parking lots downtown where all the old warehouses were, the ones that got used for raves and the like. "I think I'd be more worried about Isaac, to be honest."

"Shut up," mumbled Stiles, a faint color adding to his face as he climbed out of the car. "Which way?"

"They're over here." Derek nodded in the direction he was walking, shoving his hands into his leather jacket pockets. Stiles scrambled to keep up with him, and the two of them started to walk into one of the buildings. Derek appeared to be calm, but Stiles could tell from the way that the man's jaw was set that he was paying attention to everything around them in case of a trap.

"Well, well, it's about time you showed your face, Derek," a woman said as she jumped up to sit on top of a crate a few hundred yards in front of Derek and Stiles, her eyes flashing red as she smirked.

Derek stopped, making Stiles run into his back with a soft grunt. "Dude, warn a guy," Stiles grumbled, leaning over enough to see around Derek while stepping to the side in order to be more next to him instead of behind. Stiles felt more tense than he thought he looked, but the way that Derek straightened up and clenched his jaw again made Stiles wonder if maybe they needed to start running.

"Vivien," Derek stated, nearly growling out the name. Stiles' brow furrowed as he glanced between the two alphas, not completely sure what was happening. "You're an alpha, now?"

"Surprised, aren't you?" Vivien smirked from her perch, lifting her head slightly as she spoke. "Not exactly a new development, but I figured it was high time I... came out, so to speak."

Stiles worried at his lower lip for a moment as he watched the exchange, most of his attention on Derek. "What's going on? Who is she?" the teen asked quietly, not liking the situation at all. He had his thumb on the call button on his phone in his hoodie pocket, ready to call whoever on his contact list that happened to be highlighted in case they needed backup.

Vivien made a sound that reminded Stiles of a hiss and his eyes widened slightly in surprise. That was... _new_. Werewolves did not hiss. Did they? Derek never did; neither did Peter, or- well, any of them. "You should teach your _pet_ to speak when spoken to."

Derek made a sound that Stiles could not quite explain, arm immediately flying out in front of Stiles to push the teen back while shifting to stand in front of him. "Humans aren't _pets_, Vivien."

"Oh, yes. I forgot. The Hales were one of those bleeding-hearts families that believe humans are a source of strength." Vivien watched Stiles with an amused smirk, running the fingers of one hand through her long, wavy hair as she stretched her back a bit. "That one is just pathetic, though, Derek. C'mon, at least pick one that's not so... frail."

"I am not _frail_," interrupted Stiles with a glare of his own, shouldering past Derek to stand in front of the alpha of the pack. "Who the fuck even are you?"

That, it seemed, grabbed the other alpha's attention, as she simply chuckled and smirked again, eyes twinkling with delight. "Vivien Asher," she stated, tossing her hair over her shoulder so it cascaded along her back. "Sole alpha of the Asher Pack. We're not here for trouble, pup; we're merely here temporarily, running through, you see. We don't settle."

"So, why don't you just pack up and leave now?" Stiles crossed his arms over his chest with a frown. He really did not like the woman in front of him, and he could not figure out why.

"Stiles," Derek stated, the word sounding almost like a warning that they both knew the teen wouldn't listen to.

Vivien, however, simply chuckled and smirked once again. "Oh, I think we may just stay here for a while. Beacon Hills is... interesting. As long as your... _pack_ doesn't come causing trouble, you won't have any from us," she said, the words seemingly flowing from her in a way that almost made Stiles want to believe here.

However, a knot in his stomach made him watch her warily, instead. He did not believe that they were just in town for a quick stop. There was something else going on; and a quick glance over at Derek told Stiles that the alpha was of the same train of thought. "There's nothing here for you, Vivien," Derek stated with a faint sigh, watching the other alpha's lazy stretch before she climbed down from her perch. "Maybe it would be best if you did leave." Things in Beacon Hills were unstable at best; they really did not need to deal with whatever the woman's ulterior motives were; and, Derek knew Vivien well enough to know that she always had ulterior motives.

"We will leave when we are rested, no sooner." Vivien straightened up to full height, the amusement in her eyes fading to a dull authoritative gaze that almost intimidated Stiles; but, he had known Victoria Argent, and no one got more intimidating than that, not even Lydia. "Be on your way, little Hale. We shall be gone soon enough."

Derek's jaw clenched, and if the way his body tensed was any sign, Stiles was sure that the man was trying to not fall into the typical fallback of hitting her because she pissed him off. That was _good_, though. Violence was not always the answer, after all. Eventually, the two of them went back to Derek's car with more promises from Vivien that her pack was going to be on their _best_ behavior. Stiles waited until they were several blocks away before he let out a heavy breath and said, "I think she's full of shit." He crossed his arms over his chest while staring out the window, a frown on his face as he thought back over everything that Vivien had said. Something about her just made him uneasy, much in the same way that Peter would make him uneasy. That was not a good sign.

"You're not pathetic," Derek said after a moment, instead of really responding to what Stiles had just said, making the teen's brow raise a little while turning to look at him. "Earlier, Vivien said you were pathetic; but, you're not. She doesn't even know you."

"Next time, I'm bringing the damn baseball bat." Stiles nodded once, resolutely as the car pulled to a stop. He had just finished climbing out of the car when Isaac appeared at the door to the building, a faint frown on his face. "The pack's alpha is a _bitch_, dude."

"There was no problems, though?" Isaac questioned, waiting for Derek and Stiles to get to the door before the three of them continued up to the loft.

Derek shook his head a little, though Stiles answered, "Not yet, anyway."

"I don't like the sound of that." Isaac worried at his lower lip as they walked into the loft, brow furrowed as he thought about all the different things that _yet_ could imply.

Derek's focus immediately went to Peter once they were inside the loft, his uncle sitting sprawled out on the couch. "Why didn't you tell me it was _Vivien_?" he all but growled at his uncle, which only made Peter smirk and laugh quite carelessly.

"Oh, I figured it would be a nice surprise," stated Peter, lifting his shoulders in a shrug as he crossed his arms over his chest, eyes flashing in amusement. "Old friends and all that."

"Vivien and I _aren't _friends, and you know that." Derek glared at Peter again before groaning as he ran a hand through his hair. "She's up to something."

Boyd nodded from his place at the table, leaning back against it, before jerking his head in Peter's direction. "Pretty sure this piece of shit is, too," the teen stated as the others nodded in agreement. "I think he should leave."

"He's right, leave."

Peter looked ready to protest, and looked around for any sign of support, but no one even met his eye fro a moment. With a long-suffering sigh, Peter stood up and rolled his eyes. "As you wish," he stated before striding out of the loft, without looking back once.

Everyone waited with baited breath as they listened to the sounds of Peter leaving fading with each step away he took. It was not until Cora left and checked to make sure he was not lingering around and returned with an all-clear that a general breath of relief was released in the room. "Now that he's gone," Scott said as he stole a soda from the fridge, "tell us what's going on. Who's Vivien?"

"It's a long story," Derek answered with a sigh as he crossed over to the couch, dropping down onto the seat in the middle.

Stiles rolled his eyes a little, taking a seat on one of the empty spots of the couch as he said, "We've got time, catch us up." Isaac nodded quietly in agreement as he took the remaining seat on the couch, tucking his legs up to his chest with his back facing the arm of the couch.

The alpha sighed, but nodded his assent as everyone else took seats around the loft. Chris seemed highly uncomfortable the entire time, but he did not feel right just leaving Allison there. While Derek may not have been too thrilled about the man being there, he felt that Chris had the right to know what he was going to share. Besides, being a hunter, Chris may have more information on Vivien than he did. Stiles stretched out as Derek tried to find the place to start, his legs draping over the alpha's lap with one foot resting against the side of Isaac's legs. Scott rose a brow at the action, but made no comment as he looked around to see that no one else was really reacting to the motion. "Start at the beginning, Derek," Isaac urged after a moment of quiet in which Derek idly drummed his fingers against Stiles' shin.

"Right. Uh, well, the Asher pack is very old and powerful. They're not strictly werewolves, though," Derek explained with a shake of his head.

From the look on Chris' face, the alpha was sure that the other man finally made a connection of just who they were dealing with. However, everyone else seemed confused. "The Asher pack is _shapeshifters_. Most are werewolves, but some have... other forms. I take it Vivien takes after her mother?"

Derek nodded in response and Chris sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose between two fingers. "She fuckin' _hissed_ at me, dude," Stiles said, brow raising with a slightly amused smirk. "Are you trying to say she's a giant ass _cat_?"

Boyd and Stiles shared a look across the room and both of them smirked. In that instant, Scott groaned, realizing what was going through his best friend's head and before Stiles could speak, Isaac leaned forward and placed a hand over the other teen's mouth. "If the next words out of your mouth is some kind of dog joke, I will hit you," Isaac said, a look of warning across his face that made Stiles feel defiant. However, when Isaac slowly leaned back and returned to where he was before, Stiles said nothing. He would just save it for when they weren't prepared. Only Boyd appreciated his _awesome _dog jokes for the awesomeness they were, anyway. "So are we thinking that these new hunters arriving right around the same time is a coincidence?"

"Nothing's coincidence," Lydia replied, waving her hand dismissively before shooting a pointed look in Derek's direction. "Can we hear the rest of the long story, now?"

"Right," sighed Derek, resuming the idle tapping of his fingers against Stiles' leg.

He then went into the tale of how the Hale and Asher packs had met to begin with. An Asher had saved his mother from some hunters that were after her. After that, a bond was made between the two packs, despite the Asher pack's mixed members. The one thing they did not agree on was humans in a pack. The Asher family believed all should at least be bitten before they turned eighteen, and if the bite did not take... well, that was simply a tragedy. "My brother, Darren, was the oldest of us," Derek said, his voice slightly thick with sadness but stiff in a way that let them know he was trying to push past it. Cora worried at her lower lip as she watched her brother. She knew nothing about the Asher pack, as she had been quite young still when the two packs went their separate ways. "He was human, and had no desire for that to change. Sindra Asher, the alpha at that time, decided for us that his decision was not one that should stay. So, one night, she had one of her wolves attack him in the woods.

"He fought back and killed the man that bit him, which would have made him an alpha; but..." Derek took a deep breath, stilling his hand on Stiles' leg. He was very much aware of everyone's eyes on him. "The bite didn't take, and even if it had...?" Derek shook his head a little. "Darren never wanted to be anything more than a human, but the Asher pack took his choice from him. It's a common thing in their line; humans in their pack don't stay human for long, or they wind up dead." Derek lifted a hand to shift through his hair, trying to remember anything else of importance about the Asher family. "Vivien was Laura's age. They grew up together, and until Darren was killed, they were best friends. After that...? Laura wanted nothing to do with her. Vivien was brought up not just as a future alpha, but as a killer. The Asher pack has always toed the line of humanity and being feral. She was raised to hunt, to fight, and to win. I wasn't even a teenager when I watched her take off someone's head."

The loft was quiet then, the only sounds being a leak somewhere in the building, the wind through a crack in the window frame, and everyone's breathing. After a few tense moments, Scott breathed out the phrase that everyone else was thinking, "_Holy shit_."


End file.
